A SpaceX engineer was knocked unconscious and placed in coma after conducting a routine rocket test

• A SpaceX engineer was injured while testing a rocket part, leaving him in a coma for months, sources say.
• OSHA said Francisco Cabada was admitted to hospital because of head trauma and skull fracture. 
• The regulatory agency fined SpaceX more than $18,400 over two safety violations from the accident.

An engineer working at Elon Musk's SpaceX was put into a coma for months after he was knocked unconscious while testing out a rocket part, sources told Insider.

Francisco Cabada, a father of three from Los Angeles, was conducting a routine rocket test on January 18 this year at SpaceX's facility in Hawthorne, California, according to former intern Julia CrowleyFarenga, who spoke to Insider about the accident on February 10.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said in an accident investigation summary that Cabada, an integration technician, was performing checks on a Raptor V2 engine.

While carrying out the test, a valve became highly pressurized and blew off a plate which then hit him, knocking him to the ground, CrowleyFarenga said.

Two other anonymous sources familiar with the matter confirmed the accident involving Cabada to Insider.

"The final step in the pressure check operation, venting, was done for the first time using an automated program as opposed to the normal manual method that had been used in previous operations," the OSHA summary said. "Immediately after initiating the automated venting, the employee was struck by the fuel controller cover which broke free from the controller module."

OSHA said Cabada was admitted to hospital because of head trauma and a fracture on his skull. He then stayed in a coma for months, OSHA said.

OSHA fined SpaceX more than $18,400 over two safety violations from the accident in January. One of the violations was considered the most serious penalty with the highest gravity, according to OSHA's investigation summary. OSHA's website says the maximum penalty per violation is $14,502.

A GoFundMe page, which says it was set up by Cabada's sister-in-law, says his wife and three children have struggled financially because he was the "primary breadwinner." More than $51,000 has been raised so far and the page shows hundreds of donations from people who work at SpaceX.

Semafor also reported on the incident. California's Department of Industrial Relations said Cabada's injuries affected his head, respiratory system, and upper and lower extremities, per Semafor's report.

The attorney of Cabada told Semafor that an investigation into what caused the accident was underway.

Cabada's brother-in-law, as well as his attorney, told Semafor that the SpaceX worker was now out of the coma but remained in hospital because he was unable to communicate or survive without medical help.

Cabada's sister posted a TikTok video on March 16 about the accident, which discussed how much the family missed him. 

CrowleyFarenga told Insider that SpaceX usually does a root cause analysis whenever there is an incident and this is normally released within a day. However, SpaceX has not released an analysis related to this incident, according to CrowleyFarenga. 

SpaceX didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Semafor reported that former employees said SpaceX hasn't made a public announcement about the accident.

Are you a SpaceX worker who was present during the accident? Feel free to get in touch using a nonwork email address with either Kate Duffy at kduffy@insider.com or Sam Tabahriti at stabahriti@insider.com.